[captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> you are watching wbal-plus. live, local, latebreaking. this is 11 news today at 7:00 a.m. >> all right, welcome back. good morning, everybody. tony pann here it flooding all over the place, the nds are starting to kick up, and will get worse. i will give you the step is that details. -- step by step details. ava is in ocean city and she

will keep us informed of what is happening on the beach. >> i wish i could show you just how cold we are out here. with the wind chill, it feels like the 40's. we are absolutely drenched in rain. winds gusting to about 60 miles per hour. i want to show you that as the sun is starting to lighten up the sky, the winds are a lot better, especially as the big towards the distance. eight-to-15-foot waves. they are causing a lot of rough surf and frost off the beaches as well. here come the waves right now as this bill through the vegetation -- they still to the vegetation. it is starting to flood inside each area.

floodwaters are starting to make their way in there. big concerns in ocean city all over the coast. coastal flooding will be a major concern. mandatory evacuation in place south of 17th street. we will continue to see the water rise on both sides of ocean city. the winds could be gusting up to hurricane force as we go throughout the day, that will cause minor structural damage. as of yet, we've not heard any major reports of damage or injuries. the storm is still miles and miles away. we will try to stay dry here. >> cold. good morning, everybody. i am stan stovall. >> and i am mindy basara. >> we will have more of our team coverage of hurricane sandy from baltimore city to the eastern

shore. let's get a check on how the roads and bridges are doing. sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> good morning to you, stan and mindy. if you have to be out on the roads, once again, as we've been saying all morning, we discourage you from being out there because -- the conditions continue to get worse. northbound 97 in 100, our latest accident in the glen burnie area. speaking of closures come in the intersection in the city, monument and pulaski highway, aliceanna and carolyn, falls road and north avenue, all of these intersection are closed in advance of the storm. lamarr street and 10th street, watch for an accident. let's give you a live view of traffic and an update on some of our cameras around big area. 97 north and 100, 95 and 395, a lot more cars than we saw last

record volume continues to build even though the schools are out. we did not expect to see as much volume as we're seeing here. seeing pooling on the roads. keep those speeds down as you travel. we will keep you posted on any new problems as they develop. >> we want to get a check on some other parts of the area. >> kim dacey is live in annapolis. it is getting worse where you are. >> it really is. since we got here several hours ago, the rain has started to pour even harder. we are seeing freezing conditions for the most part. some of the bigger guys are coming more and more frequently -- bigger gusts are coming more and more frequently. most of the major roadways are pretty possible -- passible. there is some water cooling by

the harbor, and the low-lying areas are starting to see cooling as well. as far as the water is concerned, it is staying in the harbor for the most part. again, the winds are not the big story. it is the rain and the flooding on the parking lots and the roads. definitely be careful. if you do need to seek shelter, and definitely do that. officials are trying to get cars off of the road race so that if emergency vehicles have to get through, if there are any problems associated with that, if you are a city resident, you can park your car in any of the parking garage is downtown. f of the redsof

to help emergency vehicles. it is expected to get much worse. be aware of that and plan your day accordingly so that you don't have to be out when it is expected to be the worst. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. now we go to tim tooten in baltimore city. our conditions there? >> a lot like what you are going to in annapolis. you can see at change of direction. it is raining. some of the schools that are closed today are becoming shelters. half a dozen shelters are opening up in baltimore city at 9:00 a.m. today, eklund patterson high school, emerson high school, as well as a forest park and the war memorial building. this situation is changing. we are starting to feel some of the effects. nothing like ava, would've and

another is a storm brewing in area. >> officials are telling all maryland residents to prepare for the possibility of losing power for extended periods of time. >> sandy could wipe out power to several hundred homes. about three hours ago we heard a report of some 700 scattered outages throughout the metro area. utility officials say that more than 3000 workers are standing by at four different staging areas ready to help when the time comes. in the event of a power outage, you need to call bge. as you might imagine, government agencies are paying special attention to sandy. >> hallie jackson has a look at what is happening in d.c. with the federal government. >> president obama has signed an

emergency declaration for here in d.c., where, as you can see, like rain is coming down very we're seeing a little bit of a breeze into the trees, but nothing like what ava is dealing with in ocean city. the streets may stay kind of quiet, since many federal employees will not be reporting to work today. government offices are close to the comic. -- closed to the public. this does not include emergency personnel. they will have their hands full today. president obama signed an emergency declaration, not just for d.c., but for maryland and all the way up to massachusetts. he has promised governors and mayors to cut through red tape to get them the help they need. the federal emergency management agency is working out in the clock. i know that you have seen the director of fema on television talking about the importance of listening to local officials and if you are told to evacuate, to do so, to coordinate the federal response so that people stay safe. >> hallie jackson live and

washington. 52 degrees at b.w.i. thurgood marshall airport. >> more continuing coverage of hurricane sandy right after the break, including documents you should have

>> whoo, boy, look at those waves in ocean city. the high tide is at 8:19. the waves will continue to build, and the title be maybe u -- fourt, for fe

feet. the big story is the rain. just assume that you are going to have some flooding in your neighborhood, because the rain has been coming down at about an inch an hour for the last couple of hours. we're looking at hd doppler tearhere. rain in harford town extending down across the eastern shore. you folks in the western suburbs will be lucky because you are on the outer fringes of this stuff. there will be tremendous flooding, up to eight inches of rain in most areas before the storm gets out of here tomorrow. this is the outer bands of the storm itself. it is about to under 50 miles east, southeast of ocean city. this is several hundred miles across. we are in the heavy rain, even if it is miles east, southeast of baltimore city. we have blizzard warnings in

effect for the mountains of west virginia, western maryland, western pennsylvania we have hurricane conditions at the beach and blizzard conditions expected in the mountains. i don't think i've ever seen that. winds gusting up to 20, 25. the worst will be this afternoon and evening. you can see the stronger gusts out here as we get closer to the center of the storm the beaches and the day. these are blowout times at the chesapeake bay. if you are watching on the western shore, that means the winds will take the water away from you guys. it'd get stronger overnight. sustained winds one up from 75 to 80 miles per hour. it started to make a left-hand turn that we were talking about. we don't expect it to did the

worst case scenario thing, but we expected to come on short somewhere in the southern part of new jersey later on today. there is the storm right now. watch what happens as we go into the afternoon. it continues to intensify, slams into the jersey shore at about 5:00 this evening. it will carry a big wall of water. at the storm surge in new jersey will be 10, 12 ft. high. as we go into tomorrow, the storm winds down a little bit. we might even see a few snowflakes around baltimore tuesday. the forecast for today -- rain, heavy at times. it will cost up to 40-60 miles per hour this evening, and most of you will be closer to the eight-inch mark before ideas all over with. rain likely tomorrow, but it will be chilly, and there could be a few snow flakes mixed in around baltimore. a couple scattered showers possible on wednesday for halloween, with a high near 55.

finally it settles on thursday, friday, saturday, with some sunshine and quiet conditions. speaking of un as this quiet conditions, ava marie is at the beach in ocean city. the center is starting to make the turn back towards the coast. the winds are going to intensify for you guys over the next couple of hours. >> yes, it is so hard to believe that the storm is so far away from us right now. the conditions are just downright awful. i want to get to the coastal flooding right now. notice the waves, now that the sun is up. they've been pushing all the way past this little area of vegetation. now they are running across the walkway that you would normally get through to go to the beach from the parking lot here at the hilton. notice all the water is spilling in to the little beachy area in front of those homes could if they have a basement areas, they could begin to flood.

this is what officials were worried about, which is white and police issued the mandatory evacuation for southern areas of ocean city. the voluntary evacuation for everyone else. you can see the ones indicated by the countries down there right now, ripping around where we are standing. mostly a northeasterly wind gusting to about 60 miles per hour. hurricane-force wind gusts through the day. this is like a shield of water coming towards the shore. we will continue to updates as we are live in ocean city. >> keep in mind, high tide this morning at 8:20. we have live team coverage this morning. >> kim dacey is live in annapolis. what are the conditions there right now >> the big story here is rain. as ava was talking about, the

winds are picking up. the rain is coming down in sheets and it is starting to rain harder and harder by the minute here. the rain is starting to pile up. we got word from the emergency management folks at annapolis that the low-lying streets in the city are starting to flood. to avoid those low lying areas if you can. use caution if you do have to be out driving to of course, don't go out if you don't have to. we're getting a better idea of far as're looking at as flooding tide the water is starting to rise in the harbor. officials are expecting a one- to-three-foot storm surge. that would bring the water up and over the edge, and increase the flooding. we're seeing plan to flooding in the parking lot. -- plenty of flooding in the

parking lot. definitely use some extra caution. if you do have a car here in annapolis, and you are a city resident, you can take that car and parked it in a garage off the road, basically. that is what emergency officials wanted to do, get it off the road in case they have to bring emergency vehicles through or in case there's flooding. free for city residents, if you can prove you are a city resident. there is also a shelter available. schools are closed today. your pets are welcome. you can bring your cats and dogs. if you have any flooding issues, you definitely want to take advantage of that. businesses down wrap and water area are starting to sandbag for the flooding that is beginning to occur. we will continue to monitor on and bring you the very latest as we get it. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. now for the latest in baltimore

city, we had to tim tooten. >> when you say something, it is like "i'm coming." the water you are talking about is starting to come this way. you can see behind me, there is a little daylight here. we are seeing in the parking lot near the rain is going into the storm drain. there are half a dozen channels opening up at 9:00 today. the free buses not running today. if your clothes in this area, it is not that big a deal to get here. there are shelters. but again, the rain is picking up. it is starting to develop here in baltimore city. back to you guys in the studio. >> gov. martin o'malley has declared a state of emergency in maryland as encouraging everyone

if they don't have to be out to stay off the roads. >> essential personnel might still have to get out and dry. how does it look right now, sarah? >> is hereby amended as the storm continue -- this year by the minute as the storm comes into the area. we are encouraging you to stay home if you can. in terms of other problems, we're looking at some delay starting to form on 295. we also have some closure is to these intersections in the city, they expect to be flooding in these areas. lombard street and 10th street in the city, we have an accident still wrapping up, and another one in aberdeen. if you travel there, be extra careful. tim tooten mentioned that the circulator is not running. there is a lot not running.

marc trains, no service, along with mta an amtrak if you want to catch a flight out of town, you can do it prior to 10:35 this morning. call ahead and check and a personal flight. 10:35 is one of these flights are canceled for the rest of the day -- when all of these flights are canceled for the rest of the day. an intensive traffic elsewhere, we are ok so far, but we expect things to change as conditions deteriorate. >> all along the eastern seaboard, people have already been evacuated. even more have decided to stay and hunker down as sandy makes its way on short. daniel lee has a look at how towns are bracing for the worst. >> across the northeast, are rising tide is sending a violent waves crashing down on coastal communities. the water is already

uncomfortably close to home. >> god knows what could happen. >> from new york to new jersey, hundreds have been forced to pack up and get out. schools and businesses are also on hold today. new jersey gov. chris christie had stern words for anyone ignoring the evacuation order. tone from new york mayor michael bloomberg. >> you are not only putting yourself at risk, but the first responders who will have to assist you in an emergency. >> homeowners spent sunday boarding up and, laying sandbags, and gathering last minute emergency supplies. >> we lucked out with irene, and i don't know, this may be worse. >> the time to prepare is over,

and now it is time to stay inside and hundred down. record predicting flooding and power outages that could last for up to two weeks. >> official from the better business bureau said that i.t. is a good idea to gather your important documents in case your home is damaged by the storm hit they recommend compiling an emergency document packet, including your social security card, your birth of the ticket, your passport, and contact information, will, as well as insurance cards, health records, pet information, and property and court documents. we will have another check of conditions around the state when we come back. >> we will let you know what you can expect over the next 24 hours, step by step.

>> we have good and bad news this morning. the bad news is that the storm got stronger overnight. the good news is that it is passed parallel with the mouth of the chesapeake bay, so we will not get the worst case scenario. the storm is on the left-hand side of your screen, that big white swirl of short. about 250 miles east, southeast of ocean city. we expected to stay in that direction and hit some are

probably north of just atlantic city, new jersey, later on this evening. it will be the worst part of the storm as far as the windows. -- wind goes. when you're looking at hd doppler, bright orange and red, you'll see a swath of that stuff across the bay and into anne arundel county, baltimore county, harford county. just assume you will have a flooding in your neighborhoods. let's switch over and take a look at the winds. the winds are not that bad might now in baltimore. your 30 on the waters of the chesapeake bay. over 50 at the beaches. heavy rain this morning, and that the bill winds come in later this evening as the storm comes onshore. if there is somebody on the

road, you should be, but -- shouldn't be, but sarah is tracking at right now. >> let's look at conditions at the moment, if you or when th -- if you are one of the people who have to travel in the next minutes. we have one in alberta and carson's run road -- at aberdeen and parsons run road. closures in effect in the city and in advance of the storm. they have shut down monument and pulaski highway. we also want to let you know that the wind restrictions are in effect at the bay bridge. let's give you a live view of traffic. we will see what is going on in the cameras. less people on the roads at the moment. we think we will probably see it less as conditions continue to get worse throughout the day and into the evening.

at the keybridge, looking ok. we want to remind you that marc trains, no service, and no service for mta or amtrak. at b.w.i., if you were going to catch a flight out of town after 10:35, there will no longer be any flights. they are all canceled after 10:35. >> coming up after the break, we will check in with ava marie to see how things are going in ocean city. >> live look at virginia beach, virginia. winds are high, rain is coming down hard, and the waters and the ocean are very, very choppy. or when we come back.

>> you are watching wbal-plus. live, local, latebreaking. this is 11 news today at 7:00 a.m.

>> good morning, and welcome back to 11 news. we have been tracking the movement of hurricane sandy all day long. >> let's check in with tony pann for the latest on sandy. >> it is not necessarily the win, it is the rain. we already have a flooding all over the place from baltimore on east. just assume that you will have flooding and standing water. hd doppler, dark orange and red, that is very heavy rain. down into southern maryland, this is one of the stronger outer bands of the storm, with offshore, 200, 300 miles away from baltimore. the heavier stuff will drift

towards frederick letter on this morning. just expect flooding. close to 8 in. of rain before the all this is said and done. center of the storm is about 250 miles east, southeast of ocean city. look how gigantic of the storm is. hurricane conditions at the beach, storms on the mountains. lester blades lane, they could pick up a foot of snow with winds gusting over 40 miles per hour. i don't think i'd ever seen that in my entire career, when you are talking about hurricane and blizzard warnings at the same time. it is unreal. strong as part of the day as far as the winds go for baltimore will be late this afternoon and this evening. at the open water, it will be a different story.

, out of the north, northwest right now. eastern shore, eareigh heights will come in one or three -- your high tides, at one or three feet on average. sustained winds at 85 miles per hour. is starting to make that turn back towards the coast. it passed by the mouth of the chesapeake bay. worst-case scenario is not going to take place for baltimore. the storm will continue on that track and slammed into the jersey shore by about 5:00 or 6:00 this evening. that is when we get the strongest winds in baltimore. it will be almost catastrophic on the jersey shore. i hate to say that, but it will get a 10 to 12-foot storm surge. 70, 80, 90 miles per hour. and then things will settle

down. it will start to spin itself out and the winds will diminish on tuesday. you might see a little bit of snow route by baltimore tuesday. there could be a few snowflakes on tuesday. rain is heavy at times during the day today. two to eight inches per expect flooding in your neighborhood greatest of his wins around baltimore will be this evening. it will deteriorate as far as the winds go later on today. the winds will diminish tomorrow. it will be cold. high of only 47. again, snow in the mountains, a few flicks around baltimore. holiday, showers will be scattered. and then finally the store gets out of here and get decent weather on thursday, friday, saturday. yet been talking about the beach all morning. ava marie is in ocean city. i imagine that the storm is starting to make its turn back towards the coast now.

the winds should be taking up, and you have high tide at 19 minutes after 8:00. i am sure that the water is spilling close to you guys as well. what's going on? >> we are facing a high tide right now. you mentioned how this is not going to be the worst-case scenario for ocean city. i hate to imagine what the worst case scenario would look like. can you see those waves? absolutely incredible. the biggest waves i've ever seen, and they are continuing to pound at the shore, causing beach erosion as well. this continuous -- continues to come inland. you can see the flooding is happening right near the hotel. this is exactly what bank officials were warning that people may have to evacuate.

they have closed the ave getting out of ocean city. you have to take northbound to get out. anyone living in ocean city, be prepared to leave if you need to, especially if you live in coastal areas. we continue to see the strong winds, and those will continue to pick up. >> you can really see the transformation in ocean city throughout the morning. >> one of the areas used to being slammed by storms like sandy is as prepared as possible for what lies ahead. >> jayne miller gives us a look at the early-morning conditions in fells point. >> this is a community that is well prepared for what may come later as the storm moves closer.

the street is virtually empty. get your car is out of here, especially on the streets close to the water. the other feature in fells point, the sandbags. they are filed against the doors of businesses. >> all right, thank you so much. if you are away from the tv, you can get the latest from 11 news on social media. >> you can follow our reporters on twitter here are their handles. @avawbal. @melserwbal. @sarahwbal. @sheldondutes -- clever. >> stay with us for the very

latest on hurricane sandy, including another update from ava in ocean city. >> we continue to track the area roadways. we will update you on problems coming out.

>> wow. that is a live shot from virginia beach. watching that pier. don't know if it is going to hold. those rates have got to be 13 feet high. we are still in baltimore about

300 miles away from the storm. the reno is the big story for us, not necessarily the ones yet. tremendous amounts of rain up and down the i-95 corridor. heaviest rain in the red-shaded areas. just assume that you will have flooding in your neighborhood today. i will give you a brief synopsis of what to expect. heavy rain this morning, winds gusting between 20 and 30 miles per hour to start the day. then it gets cold tomorrow. it will be in the 40's. i will talk about this stuff when i come back and a few minutes. >> you can track sandy's every move even when the power goes out. >> watch the storm on our interactive radar and follow storm updates on livewire.

you can find it all at the wbal smartphone app. or continuing coverage of sandy straight ahead. this is a live look at ocean city.

>> we are in the midst of the storm. the worst part for the winds will be this afternoon and evening, but right now it is the heavy rain. baltimore city under the flood warning, harford county, cecil county. just assume that you will have a flooding in your neighborhood. this is incredible rain coming out here. very heavy rain through baltimore county, harford county. extending towards annapolis. it has let up a little bit on the eastern shore. that is good for you folks. you have been getting hammered.

for western suburbs, light-to- moderate rain. these outer bands are already reaching towards us. that is out gigantic this storm is. in addition to that, we have the heavy rain to expect with the tropical system. this is an indication that the storm is beginning to make its transformation from a tropical system to one or easter -- to a nor'easter. blizzard warnings are in effect in western maryland. up to a foot of snow in garrett county with winds up to 40. 18-mile-per-hour gusts at the airport. they will pick up this afternoon. the worst part of the winds for baltimore will be this afternoon anything. for folks on the western shore of the day, a blowout winds. when the high tides come in on the shore this one, you guys will not have a problem, but on the eastern shore, your

high tights might come in one to three feet above average. that is not a storm surge, that is only because of the wind direction. twitter 50 mi. east, southeast of ocean city, that was -- 250 miles east, southeast of ocean city, and i was beginning to turn it is losing its tropical characteristics, but it is getting a stronger. it is passed the mouth of the chesapeake bay, so we can take the worst-case scenario of the table of this turning and going across the chesapeake bay, with this will it hit new jersey and hit it hard. this next the hard left turn by 6:00. comes onshore and it will be even stronger. i hate to use this word, "catastrophic" on the jersey shore.

it will start to wind itself down and lose a lot of the winds. ford is in baltimore tomorrow, with maybe a couple of snowflakes. rain heavy at times. up to an inch an hour. the worst possible type plat -- the worst gusts will take place this evening. temperatures will be in the 50's. then it gets colder tonight and tomorrow. we will drop to the 40's for high temperatures on tuesday, with a little bit of a snow mixed in on halloween day. finally we get a break. ok, i am confused. where do i for to next? >> you are confused? >> he is getting dizzy. >> maryland is already feeling the effects. >> let's check in with tim tooten. >> don't be confused.

it is this training, and it is raining hard, at the giant, dunkin donuts, water continuing to go in. baltimore city will open up a shelter -- a dozen shelters -- get my mouth together, tim tooten. you can go online and see those shelters. they will be at forest park high school, patterson high school, community center, war memorial building, baltimore junior academy. you can bring medical supplies with you and they are recommending you do that, as well as other supplies. as for the weather teare come it is raining. giant is the main headquarters spot right now, people are coming in to get their supplies. they had staff here overnight to make sure. how you doing, sir?

that is communications -- trying to state dry the best he can. i am told not to give the presidents -- residents a hard time. it is really heavy in ocean city and you're doing a great job out there. >> thank you, tim. you as well. look at the wav -- them way out in the distance, nine to 15 feet tall is. as a lot of the vegetation has been planted to restore the beach. it is hardly standing up to sandy right now. a lot of it is spilling over the banks. you can see how all those waves are as it is causing flooding near the hotel and some homes that are just next to it as well.

we watched these waves, and 90 is just incredible. -- and iti s ju -- it is just incredible. the one silver lining is that hopefully this is as high as the waves are going to bed. we don't expect the tide to be as high for the second high tide this evening. you can notice that it is already spilling over. that may be too optimistic. we will have to see just how high the water does rise as sandy to tds to get closer. -- sandy continues to get closer. >> officials are urging everyone to stay off of the reds until sandy passes over. >> it is also affecting air travel and mass transit. let's go to sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> we are seeing less volume than we normally see.

we have closures to report in the city at peace intersections. caroline, of falls road, north avenue, all of this in advance of flooding expected at the intersection. keep that in mind if you are one of the few that has to be out on the roads. if you're heading to the airport, and we are reminding you all morning that at 10:35, all flights after 10:35 canceled out of b.w.i. there are a select few that are on time, part for the most part, there's been canceled. also, marc, nga, an amtrak. and amtrak. ponding on area roads that could increase risks of the flooding. here is the beltway and the keybridge.

no sign of any problems. thankfully, no other incidents to report for the moment. we will keep you abreast of any problems as a day -- as they come in. >> 52 degrees at b.w.i. thurgood marshall. >> stay with your number one station for weather. our coverage of hurricane sandy continues after this. >> how many hours in a day? 24 hours but what do you mean, 20? weather is next.

>> live shot from virginia beach, where we are waiting to see -- those waves are incredible.

the big story at home, the heavy rain. not so strong west of town or even on the eastern shore. heaviest rain is on the beltway. this is the estimated precipitation over the last 12 hours. the darker greens represent over an inch, and it is only 8:00 in the morning. the rain will continue like this all day long and we could pick up anywhere from four to eight inches of rain. >> we will be right back with another look at weather and traffic. >> look down at the ocean this morning. this is jersey shore, not ocean city. look at how high those which are getting.

>> our coverage of hurricane sandy continues, and if you got yourself a portable generator in preparation for outages, we have a few tips to keep in mind. keep that generator outdoors at all times and away from open windows. install battery powered, and monoxide detector inside. and because it will be raining, be mindful of where you place the generator at side to avoid flooding around it, and never ever tried to backfeed from a portable generator to a wall outlet. that could pose a risk for utility workers and your neighbors. >> thank you so much, and good morning, everyone. it is getting busier by the minute. conditions continue to deteriorate by the area roadways.

you will start to see some delays. closures to report to to a downed pole and wire. aliceanna and caroline st., falls road in north avenue, all of this in advance of the flooding expected at the intersections. right now we are at 57 miles per hour. delays are not an issue this morning, but pooling on the roads is an issue. let's remind you that all flights are canceled at b.w.i. after 10:35 this morning. you are planning on getting out of town prior to that, there are still a few limited flights on- time did the rest are canceled after 10:35. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> stay connected to 11 news even when away from your tv to watch live updates on livewire

and see pictures of the areas hardest hit by the storm come on wbaltv.com. thank you for joining us. >> keep it here all day long for the very latest on hurricane irene -- >> sandy! >> back in a moment. incredible opportunity for baltimore. jim smith: question seven will bring table games like... blackjack and poker to baltimore. stephanie rawlings-blake: you're talking about 500 new jobs. ken ulman: and increased tourism will mean more business... for maryland's small businesses. jim smith: and instead of marylanders spending... five hundred and fifty million in other states... ken ulman: question seven will keep that money right here. stephanie rawlings-blake: more jobs, millions for schools.

jim smith: i'm voting for question seven. ken ulman: i'm voting for question seven. stephanie rawlings-blake: and i'm voting for question seven. chances are, you're not made of i'm voting fmoney,stion seven. so don't overpay for motorcycle insurance. geico, see how much you could save. >> you are watching wbal-plus. live, local, latebreaking. this is 11 news today at 7:00 a.m.

>> in case you're just joining us, a little good and bad news. this storm is getting stronger. the good news is that we will avoid the worst-case scenario that was a possibility of to a little while ago in baltimore. the sustained winds went up to 85 miles per hour. it is passed parallel with the mouth of the chesapeake bay. we still think this will continue on the track and make landfall at the southern part of managers is sometime later on this evening. -- southern part of new jersey sometime later on this evening. boy, we have heavy rain coming down, steady rain from baltimore county towards annapolis and southern maryland. we have picked up an inch, inch and a half, and we will get close to seven or eight inches before it is all done. just assume you will help flooding in your neighbor.

-- have flooding in your neighborhood. the worst part of the winds for baltimore will be this afternoon and evening, when they could cost as high as 60 miles per hour. blizzard warnings in effect for western maryland right now. we could get snow out by baltimore. just an incredible storm, to say the least. this is starting to make its core all back towards the coast. ava, have high tides in about 20 minutes. >> oh, my goodness, things are tense here. this is the worst i've ever seen. the waves are incredibly large as they are slamming on shore. they continue to move in. it is a good thing we have a bit of a bank with the vegetation

here. they are setting to break down this it barrier we have. out all the flooding that is happening not only near the coast, but as you get in line as well flooding is happening right near our hotel. even if you look all the way to the distance behind the great building, i can see some water back there. water just continues to rise. this is going to be the worst coastal flooding in ocean city. we have another high tide later this evening. they are not forecasting it to be as bad as what we're seeing right now. we have already received about three inches of rain and we get up to 10 inches in ocean city. that is the reason why they have

mandatory evacuation in place. everyone else will voluntarily can evacuate. if you need to get out of ocean city, you need to go to the northern at the end. ava marie in ocean city. >> thank you very much, and good evening -- good morning -- i've even got my -- i'm stan stovall. >> and i am mindy basara. >> we have a team coverage from baltimore's city down to the eastern shore. first, let's get a check on how the roads and bridges are doing at this hour. >> good morning to you. good morning, everybody. getting worse by the minute, as we are continuing to see a build up and pooling on area roads. if you have to be out, take that extra slow.

montevideo road, we have some downed pole and wires. here are the intersections that we want for a minute or shut down in the city in advance of flooding expected. on the street and pulaski highway, aliceanna at and caroline street, and if you are heading to b.w.i. airport, after 10:35 this morning, all flights are canceled. just be advised of that. very few slides as we get close to the 10:00 hour. very few cars out there northbound and southbound. beltway and york road, aside from the fact that the roads are wet as the rain and the wind continues to build around area, we expect to see more problems. that is the latest on traffic

pulse 11. >> most people are heeding advice and staying off the roads. >> kim dacey is live in annapolis. >> we are starting to feel the winds picking up. i've been talking all morning about how the rain was a big story. now we are starting to see wins coming in. very heavy rain note is being blown around by that wind out here. boats are starting to bob and sway. also in the parking lot, again, as sarah mentioned, water is calling on the roads. an official advisory that the low-lying streets and in the city are starting to flood over. be aware of that if you have to

be out this morning. if you don't have to be out, you want to stay in he can. there is a shelter and annapolis high school. schools are closed today, and annapolis high school has been converted to a shelter for you and your pets. cats and dogs are welcome to go there as well. we got a note that trash pickup and recycling pickup has been canceled in annapolis because conditions are deteriorating. again, a lot of heavy, heavy rain. winds are starting to increase in annapolis. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. now we go to baltimore city, where tim tooten is standing by live. >> hello, kim dacey. rain is picking up on 41st street. right here in the area of hamden, we are in the parking lot of the giant store.

people are still shopping, but it is steadily coming down and getting cooler. people are making sure they've got the supplies they need. in baltimore city, shelters are opening up. hurricane sandy, livewire. we go back now to the anchors. >> he looks like he is getting really wet there. officials are telling residents to prepare for the possibility of losing power for extended periods of time. >> sandy could wipe out power to several thousand homes and businesses. utility officials said that more than 3000 workers are on standby right now, all ready to help when the time comes. if you have an issue, call bge.

sandy is stealing some thunder from last week's presidential campaign. >> rallies have been cancelled today. president obama goes back to washington to coordinate the federal response. tracie potts as the "commitment 2012" report. >> governor romney headed away from the coast, canceling sunday rallies in virginia and north carolina in the storm's path. instead, he will join paul ryan's bus tour in ohio. >> our thoughts and prayers are with the people who will find themselves at times my. >> president obama will do one last rally in florida before heading back to washington. on sunday, the bill as it met with the federal of its management agency -- the president met with the federal limits the management agency. >> anything they need, we will be there, and we will cut through red tape and we will not get bogged down with the rules. >> in florida, the president

told campaign workers that turnout is key. >> will ever is able to get voters out will in florida. >> maryland has already cancelled early voting today. virginia, op-ed announced it, could see power outages lasting until the election -- for jack, a battleground state, could see power outages lasting until election day. >> we got things back on in seven days. we are not expecting that this time. >> virginia is planning to extend hours for absentee voting. those early votes could be critical. from washington, i'm tracie potts, wbal-tv 11 news. >> more coverage after the break. break.

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>> welcome back. heavy rain in baltimore city right now. 54 degrees at the maryland science center. it has been getting colder during the day. is will be the warmest part of the day. upper 40's and low 50s. this is not typically what you feel like tropical system is going through, right? it usually feel warmer than this. we are talking about tornadoes and all that stuff. that is not the case with this storm, obviously.

the winds will pick up as we go through the day. heavy rain in baltimore city at the present time. our band of hurricane sandy -- outer band of hurricane sandy. we are in the heavy rain right now. snow on the radar out of the mountains. i've never seen this in my career, where you have blizzard warnings in effect for western maryland and pennsylvania, and hurricane conditions at the beach. the winds are going to pick up. at worst part of the day for baltimore as far as the winds ago, late this afternoon and evening. this is blowout tied for folks on the western shore. winds out of the west and northwest, your high tide on the western shore of the chesapeake

bay what should be about average. on the eastern shore, your high tides will come in a little bit above average. this is not a storm surge, this is simply because pushing the water around. satellite imagery -- winds are 85 miles per hour per is stunned to transition into what we call a -- it is starting to transition to what we call a nor'easter. we expect this to make landfall in new jersey later on this evening. worst-case scenario off the table for maryland. bad things for folks in new jersey. 10-, 12-foot storm surge on the

jersey shore. i rarely use the word "catastrophic," but it may be in parts of new jersey. winds will be strongest in baltimore sometime this evening. as soon as it comes inland, it will diminish. but it will be cold. high temperatures in the low 50s. rain heavy at times. it may gust up to 50 or 60 this evening. anywhere from two to eight inches of rain. just inspect flood warnings to be issued for your neighborhoods. tomorrow, windy, cold, it might be stealing a little but not by baltimore tomorrow. -- snowing a little bit around baltimore tomorrow.

finally woken up by going into next weekend. and my talking to ava? ava marie is live in ocean city. this should be the peak of it for you as far as the waves and the surge coming onshore. >> this is by far the peak of it. >> check out the waves as it starts to spill into the walkway on 32nd street. this is creating more like a lake around teh hilto -- the hilton. the dune is all we have protecting the inland areas right now. those have been built to restore the beach. sandy is ripping that apart. there are a couple of the fence posts.

it is gone and floating away into the ocean. check out how big those waves are in the distance. sandy continues to bear down on the coast paralleling us. we are monitoring the flight concerns and there is mandatory evacuation for the southern areas of ocean city. everyone else, a voluntary evacuation. if you live in ocean city, keep watching the water around your house. they have already shut down highway 50 on the southern edge of ocean city. it is getting pretty bad. kim dacey, live and nablus. what is the flooding situation? >> it is really just increasing. annapolis officials have put out an advisory that a lot of the low level streets are starting to flood.

we are seeing them even more we are sitting. we have changed our vantage point to give a wider view of annapolis. the winds continue to pick up. you can get a wider view of the harbor. pummeling these boats. the winds are increasing here. the flooding is going to be widespread as we go through what the day. definitely be careful and use extra caution. don't go out if you don't have to. if you end up having to evacuate your home, annapolis high school is set up as a shelter now. you can go there for whatever reason. cats and dogs are welcome.

it is only going to get worse. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. tim, you are out at the giant on 41st street grid how are things out there? >> things are doing well. people have to survive, people have to plan, getting what they need. it really is it raining very hard. write to my left, you can see that the dunkin donuts is open and people are getting coffee. basically, people are preparing for this storm. the charm city -- what do they call it, having a senior moment -- circulator. it will not be running today. tim tooten live outside in have

been -- in hamdan. >> gov. martin o'malley has declared a state of emergency in maryland. >> let's check in with sarah caldwell h. >> we are seeing conditions deteriorate out there. the latest accident at on arundel mills boulevard. we have a crash southbound on 97 at toward the road. downed pole and wires with police directing at reece road and montevideo road. website outer loop, security boulevard, lanes closed. one is closed in the city, ala with aliceanna. we have wind warnings just issued at the eight in memorial bridge. tydings memorial will follow shortly.

we have restrictions at the bay bridge. there is still a limited amount of flights going out. after 10:35, all flights are canceled. 95, live look at the tydings memorial bridge. not a whole lot of people out there. we will keep you posted on problems as they come in. quick mass-transit know. mta and amtrak, all not operating. >> all along the eastern seaboard, thousands of people have been evacuated. people are hunkering down as hurricane sandy makes its way on shore. in new jersey, towns are bracing for the worse. >> across the northeast, a rising tide has a violent waves crashing down on coastal

communities. the water is already uncomfortably close to home. >> god knows what will happen. >> thousands have been forced to pack up and get out. thousands of flights canceled, schools and businesses also on hold today. new jersey gov. chris christie has stern words for a and what ignoring evacuation orders. similar tone from new york mayor michael bloomberg. >> you not only putting yourself at risk, but anyone who has to assist you in an emergency. >> we lucked out with irene, and i don't know, this may be worse. >> the time to prepare is now over to people need to stay

inside and hunder down. officials here say that this is the worst-case scenario -- they are predicting record flooding and power outages that could last up to two weeks. >> as the worst of sandy is still hours away, officials from the better business bureaus said that it is a good idea to gather important documents in case your home is damaged by the storm. create an emergency documents packet, including your social 60, birth certificate,, -- social security card, birth certificate, will, pet formation, property and court documents. another check of conditions around the state when we come back. >> we will go to doppler and let you know with heavy rain is coming.

millions against question seven. that upsets me. and that upsets jonathan ogden. you don't want to upset jonathan ogden. ogden: no you don't. mayor: question seven means thousands of jobs and millions for our schools. but these west virginia casinos want to keep it all for themselves. we're not happy about that. ogden: no we aren't. mayor: so join us and vote for question seven. and west virginia, don't make me send jonathan ogden over there. mayor: vote for question seven. ogden: for baltimore.

>> so far the big story is not in the wind but the rain. down into anne arundel county, this is one of the outer bands of the hurricane. east, oring into thes west, rather. let's look at the estimated rainfall amounts. this is how much rain out the computer has estimated in the past in some neighborhoods.

one to three inches across baltimore city. close to eight before it is all said and done. temperatures in the upper 40's and low 50s. when we come back, we will get into more detail about where the storm is and where it is going. >> good morning, everyone. continues to continue -- conditions continue to get worse for drivers. we have accidents around the area, one on northbound 295 adel wind chills boulevard. we of another crash on southbound 97. montevideo road, downed pole and wires. security boulevard, we have a disabled vehicle with lanes closed. these intersections are blocked in advance of flooding. monument and pulaski highway, aliceanna street and carolinas,

falls road and north ave. one more issue of note -- went warnings for the hated memorial bridge were just issued. we will keep you posted. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> coming up, we will check in with ava at ocean city. >> i believe we will take a virginia beach this time could live shot? no? no? back with more in a moment. i've always been lucky. flew 37 bombing missions over germany. made it home every time. i'm lucky to have good friends who are all still around, and we're all lucky to have a friend named ben. ben's protected our medicare and veterans' benefits. and he's helping my 13 grandchildren afford college. he's my friend, ben. i hope he's your friend, too. i'm ben cardin, and i'm honored to approve this message.

>> you are watching wbal-tv 11. live, local, latebreaking. this is 11 news today. >> we've been tracking the movement of hurricane sandy since 4:00 this morning. >> why team coverage across the state. let's check in with tony pann

for the latest on sandy. >> bad news is that the storm got stronger over the last couple of hours. winds are up to 85 miles per hour. the good news is that you will notice it is path parallel with the mouth of the chesapeake bay. this would have been the worst case scenario for baltimore. we think that it will head towards the new jersey coast and go somewhere dry atlantic city later on today. this will be -- again, i hate to use this word -- a catastrophic event on the jersey shore. you have snow in the mountains. i've never seen this before -- when you are talking about hurricane, blizzard warnings in the mountains of west virginia and western maryland, a foot of the ow with wind gusts up to 40 or 50 miles per hour.

in baltimore, the big story is bindi rain. anywhere from one to three inches ever rain. this is the our band of the hurricane, and it is raining hard in baltimore city. baltimore county,. back towards annapolis. this heavy rain miliband is moving to the west. the city in the western suburbs have not had much going on for much of the morning. that is heading towards you guys. the winds right now have not been a big deal. but they will pick up as we go through the day down. over the waters of the chesapeake bay, besting close to 40 -- gusting close to 40. we could see wind gusts of a 40 to 60 miles per hour around

baltimore. rain will be the big story this morning. up to 8 in. before this is all over with. it will be cold. tonight, rain will continue, but then the winds will pick up even stronger later today. the radio may diminish, but the winds will pick up. 40 to 60 miles per hour this evening, and then it may be cold enough around baltimore. high temperatures will stay in the 40's at and baltimore. ava marie is live down there, and they just went past high tide. over the next half hour, you should see water start to recede a little bit, not that it will be a cakewalk on the beach, but it should get a little bit better. >> as you can see, the waves are absolutely incredible.

waves up to 15 feet right now. watch how it is spilling right over that embankment. we are already seeing the flooding occurring in land right now. i was looking at the other side of our -- baltimore avenue, that is starting to flood as well. if you try to leave at this point, watch for standing water. you don't want to drive through it. mandatory evacuation and a place for southern areas of ocean city. inland areas just have to keep an eye on water levels. we will have updates on evacuation's. highway 50 is closed in southern ocean city. stay inside if you plan to ride

out the storm, because the water is rising even in the street. let's go to kim dacey in annapolis. how is it doing there? >> wind is really picking up. last half hour or so, we are getting the more sustained winds. the rain is just coming down in sheets. rain has been the big story all morning. you can see at flapping in the breeze as it becomes more sustained. a lot of the water is starting to pool up around the area. we are seeing covering up water. annapolis officials have put out a warning that there is flooding of low-lying areas of the city streets. definitely be careful if you are out there. note that the low lying areas

that typically flood this morning. rain is increasing here. >> as tony has expired, this is a combination of two different things, sandy to our west and then at some snow. >> right now they are starting to feel the winds and bracing for what is to come. a look at the current conditions in new hampshire. >> the rains have eased up but the wind is continuing to whip things up as the tide moves in. one of the concerns here is the tidal surge, astronomically high tides expected around noon and again at midnight. that could lead to some beach erosion and minor flooding.

flooding is not really the big concern. the concern is the high winds that are accompanying the hurricane, as the costs are expected to go anywhere from 50 to 60 miles per hour. that could lead to extended power outages across the state. utilities tell us that they are ready, but dealing with power outages. hundreds of schools have closed today in anticipation of problems along the roads. the worst is expected at noon and once again around midnight. the governor has not declared a state of emergency but he has mobilized 100 members of the new hampshire national guard. there are two emergency shelters opened by end of across says they will open more if they are needed. that is the situation in north

hampton, new hampshire. >> power outages are the big concern in maryland. what is the situation so far? >> good for now. as the wind kicks up, we are certain to see some outages occur. think of it as a parachute, where the tree leaves come down. >> we are getting an inch an hour right now, and high winds are expected until later this evening. the ground will be so saturated that it will not take much for the trees to topple. >> those trees will come down if they are already in precarious positions. we will see the trees coming down for months. we are going to be out there restoring through this.

customers are going to see -- hunkered down by the building, 7-eleven or summer, and now will be up for safety, but as soon as the band's past through, there will be going through that evolution could then as the storm passes by on tuesday night wednesday, we will go into the assessment phase. you get a good fix on what it will be for the entirety of the restoration, how long will last. then we will turn our attention to providing individual estimates, estimated times of restoration. we will be very careful this time. >> people may see a bge crews in the neighborhood, but if it wins a -- winds are 23 miles per hour there is not much to do. >> we are using every vehicle that we can, but you will be seeing vehicles and times will

be moving or at times sitting still. there is a plan we are executing. we know what we're doing what we need to know that is safe. >> you should be prepared to be out of power for a few days. >> remember the derecho. same thing with irene and isabelle. 877-778-2222. to not call the 401 number. >> thank you. the time is now 8:40. 52 degrees at the airport. towson town center is closed today. >> stay with us for the latest on hurricane sandy, including another update from ava marie in ocean city. >> conditions are deteriorating. we will have an update on an accident next.

>> hurricane zandi is obviously our big story, but let's look at the other headlines. >> the new york stock exchange will close all markets today after initially saying it would only close the trading floor. the nasdaq will also halt trading today. >> we are dealing with hurricane sandy and east coast, but hawaiian residents got a scare of their own, and a quick off the coast of canada at triggering a tsunami warning. tens of thousands of people headed for higher ground. luckily, the advisory was canceled around 4:00 this morning and no major damage was reported. >> celebrations in the streets after the san francisco giants swept the detroit tigers sunday night.

they handed them their second world series title in three years. it is the franchise's seventh overall. the time now is it a : of 44 to 52 degrees at b.w.i. thurgood marshall. >> more coverage of sandy straight ahead. >> at virginia beach, the waves getting closer to the town. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] combine the pnc cashbuilder visa credit card with a qualifying pnc performance select checking account and earn 75% more than cards earning 1% cash back on almost everything.

>> all right, this is i'm not going to say the good part, but the interesting part of social media in this situation, you get breaking news. one of the peers in ocean city has collapsed because of the waves. sarah, did you get that? twitter? you can send that to sarah's twitter.

send it to sarah, i don't tweet. i only did the myface thing with stan. in the dark shaded red areas, is down to an inch an hour. we are going to wind up with close to seven or eight inches of rain. all of this heavy rain is moving into the western suburbs. the rain is moving from the east to the west. just assume that you will have a flooding in your neighborhood. assume that you will have a flooding in your neighborhood. this is one of the outer bands from the hurricane, which is about 250 mi. off the coast of ocean city. that is how you to this storm is -- how huge this storm is.

we already have snow in western virginia. that is an indication that this is turning into a nor'easter. winds around baltimore have not been terrible. between 20 and 25 miles per hour. the strongest part of the day for the winds brought by baltimore is this evening and early tonight, and these are blowout bites for folks on the western shore of the day. -- bay. folks on the eastern shore, your high tides will come in a little bit above average. storm has already passed the mouth of the chesapeake bay. sustained winds at 85 miles per hour. we expect this to make landfall in new jersey. watch what this does with the storm, the left hand at current bid it slams into the jersey shore.

i don't like to use words like "catastrophic," it may well be in new jersey. winds at 70, 80 miles per hour. as it comes inland, rain heavy at times. will pick up later on today. winds gusts between 40 and 60 miles per hour. expect flooding in your neighborhood. temperatures will be as warm as they will get during the day, low 50s right now. tonight and tomorrow, blizzard warnings in effect for terrocary county. things will settle down on halloween. and then finally, ah, ever to take a break into the weekend. >> that will be welcome to it by

the way, i don't myface, you knkow that. >> let's check in with tim tooten live in hamden. >> the weather is continuing to be what we thought would be. here's the parking lot at the giant food store. the steady pelting of the rain, people are still trying to stock up. shelters are opening in baltimore city. there are six shelters opening up at 9:00 and a baltimore city. nothing compared to what is happening in ocean city. that is where ava is standing by live. >> good morning. we're talking about the waves that are just incredible out there.

oding causing aflo inland. we are starting to measure some bigger wind gusts as well. depends on where you are standing, because the winds could be anywhere from 30 to 50 to 60 miles per hour. it is definitely the building is accentuating that. the winds wraparound and and condense. overall we are expecting wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour. it is a very large storm system, so even though it is only hundreds of miles away, we are still feeling the effects. flooding is starting to happen. people are coming out just to check it out and make sure that everything is ok. the streets are also spawned a flood in ocean city not only because of the rain.

this is making its way in towards pennsylvania avenue towards our hotel. i am meteorologist ava marie. >> officials are urging everyone to stay off the roads. >> let's go to sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> air travel -- all planes out of b.w.i. have been canceled after 10:35 this morning. marc trains, mta, an amtrak all not operating. here is one on the outer loop just past greenspring ave bearded the most recent crash is taking up the right lane there. downed wires at reece road and montevideo road. all the intersections in the city are closed right now. monument and pulaski highway, aliceanna and caroline street,

and clippard mill, right into the j.f.x. wind warnings in effect at the hated memorial bridge. let's give you a live view of traffic. you can see the roads there. traffic not bad in terms of delays, but you may see them for the west towards the accident scene. we are seeing a lot of rain and pooling on the roads. stay off the roads if you can this morning. >> 52 degrees at the airport. >> stay with wbal-tv for severe weather. our coverage of hurricane sandy

>> our coverage of hurricane

sandy continues but if you bought yourself a portable generator for possible outages, keep that generator outdoors at all times and away from open windows. install a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector inside your home to avoid poisoning. allow the generator to cool off first before you try to refuel at. and be mindful where you place the generator outside to avoid flooding around in it. never backfeed from a portable generator to a wall outlet. >> we always appreciate pictures into 11 news. here is the type covering bethany beach. fells point could see it is similar situation later on today. markets and kee -- markets emptied real fast this weekend. we will be right back with another look at traffic and

weather. >> but first, here's a look from our skycam. we are back with more in a moment.

>> welcome back. we are winding out our 8:00 coverage. we have heavy rain in baltimore city. that will be the major story around baltimore. not necessarily the wind, but the heavy rain. expect flooding. just about every county in maryland is expecting flooding. the dark orange and read -- you can see the darkest read, if you look really close, is around seven. that is where the heaviest rain is at the present time. those of you in the western suburbs -- it is pretty easy. the heavy rain is moving in your

direction. what's to look at some of the wind speeds. 20 mile per hour cost -- gust. winds will pick up around baltimore later on. i will talk about all of that and what you can expect for the next 24 hours in the 9:00 hour. >> you can always stick connected to the news online and on your phone. track the storm with the interactive radar. plus see pictures and video from the areas hardest hit by the storm. just click on weather. thank you for joining us. >> keep us right here all day long for the very lates wooohooo....hahaahahaha! oh...there you go. wooohooo....hahaahahaha! i'm gonna stand up to her! no you're not. i know. you know ronny folks who save hundreds of dollars